Live Adventurously

With 17,508 islands and 230 million people Indonesia is one of the most diverse countries in the world and the fourth largest. It is also amazingly diverse under the sea and sits in the middle of the coral triangle and is considered to be the global epicenter for marine diversity. It is second only to Brazil in highest biodiversity and second to Australia in degree of endemism. Indonesia is the mecca for divers worldwide, the holy grail if you will.

Indonesia Facts

If you want cool things to do in Indonesia, check out the next section. If you are looking for facts and figures, click here.

The adventure life comes in a multitude of styles in Indonesia! Some of our favorite things to do in Indonesia include:

1. Dive Dive Dive, Scuba Diving in Indonesia s is our favorite thing to do!
2. Visit the Kelimutu Craters in Flores. Near the town of Moni on the island of Flores, see the spectacular three colored lakes!
3. Indonesian Borneo. There is a world of adventures here from seeing the endemic Proboscis monkey and Orangutans to floating the rivers on a traditional bamboo raft.
4. Dragons. An expedition to Indonesia would not be complete without a trip to West Flores to see the largest lizard in the world, the Komodo Dragon.
5. Borobudur. Both a shrine and a pilgrimage site for Buddhists, this 9th century mo-nument in central Java is a must. The monument consists of six platforms with over 2600 relief panels and 504 statues of Buddha.
6. Climb Carstensz Pyramid. Located in west, central West Papua, Carstensz is a technical climb and one of the seven summits being the highest peak on the Australia/Oceania continent. Special expeditionary set up for this trip is necessary.
7. Bali and Ubud Highlands. Gotta go and see it all.
8. Surf! Sumba Island is a famed Indonesian surf spot and the island is also known for its rich tribal and weaving heritage.

Indonesia Seasonality

April to December is the “dry” season for diving in Indonesia but with that said, it totally depends on where you go in this vast archipelago. Live aboards operate year around moving to calmer and drier areas during rainy season. July, August and September bring winds to the Raja Ampat area and some resorts use this time to close for maintenance. July and August, however, are the busiest season up in Sulawesi.

Indonesian Scuba Diving Areas

The 17,000 islands of the Indonesian Archipelago offer some of the most diverse diving areas in the world. How do you even begin to pick where to go? Our idea is to just pick one depending on the time of year you want to go and then simply go down the list going back and back and back and back… well, you get the idea!

• Komodo: Komodo area sees some of the healthiest reefs in the region. It has seen little in the way of fish bombing and most is now protected. It is great for wall diving and wide angle photography and from large critters to the very macro-ist! Waters can range from warm to much cooler and currents can be strong. From a live aboard you can also dive Alors and Flores from here.
• Raja Ampat: The Raja Ampat area off the coast of West Papua is fast becoming THE new Indonesian destination. The “realm of the Kings” is home to over 1200 species of fish, blue water mangroves, wave pounding slopes, nutrient rich bays and a startling fish populations. Within Raja Ampat lie hundreds of areas waiting to be discovered!
• Sulawesi: This diverse region covers the incredible macro muck diving of the Lembeh Straits with the spectacular colors and pelagics of Manado/Bunaken. You’ll find many an underwater photographer here and that will tell you something!
• Banda Sea: These remote islands east of Sulawesi are a pelagic paradise notably for mobula and tuna though it is rich in small critter diving as well. Monumental size hard corals and large schools of fish characterize this region. March and April and October-mid-December are the best times to dive this area.

Trips Planned to Indonesia

Click here to join us to Indonesia – Aboard the Damai/Alors - January 7-18, 2012

Indonesia – Aboard the Damai/Komodo January 19-30, 2012 – SOLD OUT

Indonesia – Aboard the Damai/S. Komodo February 4-15, 2012 – SOLD OUT